Plant setting machine



,Sept- 8, 1953 M. D. JusTlss ET AL 2,651,280

PLANT SETTING MACHINE Filed oct.

2 Sheets-Sheet l` Inventor 5g...- 'MARCUS D JusTlss THOMAS NFALLIN Sept 8, 1953 M. D. JUsTlss ET AL 2,651,280

PLANT SETTING MACHINE Filed oct. 5, 195o 2 sheets-sheet 2 lll MARCUS:` o .JusTlss Lworms UTFALLIN J Inventor Flare.

l l I3 Patented Sept. 8, 1953 2,651,280, PLANT SETTING MACHINE Marcus D. Justiss, Prescott, and Thomas U. Fallin, Magnolia, Ark.

Application October 3, 1950, Serial No. 188,116

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a plant setting machine, and more particularly has reference to a plant setting machine adapted to be coupled to a mobile vehicle, such as a trailer, the machine being so constructed that the plants cannot be struck by the machine after being set in the ground and thus dislodge the plant from its proper position in the soil.

Viewing the invention broadly, it comprises a frame supported at the rear of and trailing the towing vehicle, the frame being supported above the ground level by wheeled means, a receptacle for containing the plants to be set, a pair of packing wheels located yrearwardly of the plant containing means, and a signalling device to indicate the time for setting the plant.

More specifically, the packing wheels are pro vided with individual axles so that the plant will remain upright as `the wheels pass thereby, the packing wheels being angularly rdisposed so that the gap at the leading edge v.of the Wheels is of greater Width than at the `trailing edge. Inl addition, the signalling .device comprises an audible signal which is operatively connected through a drive -assembly with one of the packing wheels, and means is associated therewith to regulate the intervals at which the audible signal operates.`

An object of our invention is to prov-ide a plant setting machine which is relatively simple -in structural detail, positive and efficient in oper-ation, and which can be inexpensively manufactured. e

Yet another object of the present invention is to vprovide a plant setting machine adapted to be coupled to the rear of a towing vehicle which is provided with an audible signal carried 'by the frame of the vehicle, the signal being operated at predetermined intervals .as the machine traverses the ground to indicate to the .operator when a plant should be set. v

A Vfurther object of our present invention is to provide a plant setting machine Iwith a pair of spaced apart packing wheels, veach wheel being carried by an individual axle `so .as to form a free pathway between the packing Awheels and thus prevent the wheels from striking .the deposited plant and thus vdislodge Athe plant from its proper position in the soil.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in .the details of .construction, .and in .the arrangement and combination ,of parts to be `hereinafter more vfull;7 set forth and claimed.

Indescribing the invention in detail, reference be had to the accompanying drawings formpartly of .the

Referring to the drawings, and more particu-iV l larly to Figure l, we have indicated the "plant Set.- ting machine generally I 0, II illustrating a tow: ing vehicle, such as a tractor, and I2 a .connectionbetween the setting machine and the` tractor whereby the machine may be elevated by activas tionrof the controls on the tractor. nasmuchas this particular structure does not form a ,saiieut part of the invention, it is not deemed necessa to describethe connection in detail. 1

The machine In comprises .a pair of 'longitudis nal frame elements Ii3, preferably Isbeams, and the rear ends of the frameelements 4are con.- nected by a transverse I-beam I4. The beams I3 converge toward their front ends and .are conv nected to a drawbar I5', to the endsof which the v lifting connection, designated generally I2, is op,

eratfively attached. The drawbar l5 pivotally connected intermediate the ends thereof to a plate I6 by a rivet or the like 15A, which plate in turn is bolted to a channel iron I5 as shown at I6. V'The rivet I5A extends through an aperture I 5B in the plate, the aperture lbeing an oblong or longitudinally extending opening, and the vertical flange of the drawbar I5 is adapted in one position to engage a pair of horizontal cleats 16A, as will later be more fully described. Intermedi; ate the ends of the frame members I3, it :will9 noted that a pair of upwardly extending straps -Il converge at their free ends, and the lower ends thereof are secured to the frame elements by welding or the like. A cross or transversely eX- tending member I8 is secured at its outer ends to the frame members VIll vfor strengtheningor reinforcing purposes.

A pair of foot supports or vplates I 9 are at`v tached to the outer face of each of the ,frame members I3 by supporting elements 20,' and a spring mounted seat 2| is carried by the frame members I3 in proximity to the rear end of the machine. Y

Pairs of spaced disks 22 and 23 are supported of the passage is of greater width than the rearY the wheels by the frame elements end of the passage. In other words,

24 are angularly supported the seat 2| and he may from the container 41 the operator sitting in readily remove the plant and drop the same between the strap I1 and the packing wheels 24 when the bell 4I indicates that a plant should be deposited. The wheels 24 will clear the plant by virtue of the individual mounting of the wheels and there is no danger of the plant being disturbed from its set position.

To protect the yworking parts of the signalling device 30 from damage, it will be noted that a g guard 50 extends outwardly from frame member I3 and we have found that if the front ofthe wheels is spaced 81/8 inches vand the rearn 6% inches, the most advantageous results are achieved. As will later be more fully described, after the plant has been dropped forwardly of the Wheels 24, the passage of the wheels past the plant will not strike the plant and move it from its-.proper position, As hereinabove indicated, We have provided an audible signal to indicate to the operator when to drop the individual plants and this indicator is denoted Vgenerally 30. As shown in Figure 2, a sprocket 3I is attached to the axle of one of the packing wheels24 (preferably the left wheel), and a chain 32 is trained over the sprocket 3l, andafsecond sprocket 33 of larger diameter carried by a shaft 34 which is journalled in a bearing block 35 removably secured to the upper flange ofthe frame element I3. A rubber covered pulley 36 is secured to the free or outer end of the shaft 34 fand drives a smaller pulley or roller 31 mounted on` a shaft 38 which, in turn, is journailed` in a sleeve 39 carried by a bracket 4B pivoted to the upper ange of the frame element I3. A bell casing 4I having a pivoted clapper 42 vis conveniently secured to the frame element I3, -and the outer end of the shaft 38 supports an eccentrically mounted finger 4I' which, during rotation, is adapted to strike the clapper finger to ring the bell. Spring means 43 cooperates with the bracket 40 to maintain the pulley-or roller 31 in engagement with the outer flat face of the pulley 36. Hence, it can be seen thatas the machine III traverses the ground, rotation of the wheel 24 will turn the sprocket 3| and, as a consequence, the pulley 36. The pulley 36 will frictionally drive the smaller pulley 31 so that the eccentrically mounted finger 4 I will strike the bell clapper flnger'to ring the bell at the desired intervals. -In order to. change the number of revolutions of rotation. imparted to the pulley 31 to vary the time intervals, it will be noted that a crank element 44 is provided with a threaded portion 45 which cooperates with threaded openings formed iniears 46 on the bracket 46. Rotation of the crank 44 will move the sleeve 39 and, of course, the pulley 31 either toward the center or the outer periphery of the pulley 33 to thus vary the speedat which the finger 4I turns. It can be seen that the outer end of the crank 44 extends to a point beyond the rear of the machine IU and the necessary adjustment can be easily and quickly effected by the operator.

In order to support a plant receptacle shown bythe broken lines indicated 41, it will be seen that lan L-shaped bracket 48 is secured to and extends outwardly from one of the upwardly extending strapsv I1 and that a similar supporting member v49 is carried by the channel member I5.; Consequently, the plant container will be supported at a height which isreadily accessible to I3 and projects beyond the elements supported by the frame member. The ends of the guard may be'welded or otherwise secured to the web of the I- beam..v

By virtue of the pivotal connection of the drawg bar I5', it is possible for the machine to trail properly whenplanting curved rows so that the packing wheels may pass an equal distance from the plants. When the machine is raised above the ground by virtueof the connection I2, the drawbar I5 will move rearwardly and contact the cleat IGA which will cause the planter to aline itself straight behind the towing vehicle.

The invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawings, but may be changed or modified so long as such changes mark no material departure from the salient features of theinvention, as expressed in the appended claims,

We claim: Y k

l. In a signalling assembly adapted to be operated at predetermined intervals for use with plant setting machines, a frame, wheels therefor and an alarm mounted on the frame, a pulley journalled on the frame, a drive connection between the pulley and one of the wheels so that movement of the fra-me will rotate the pulley, a second pulley of lesser diameter than the first named pulley journalled on the frame, the periphery of the second named pulley engaging a planar face on the fn'st named pulley, means to adjust the second named pulley radially of the planar face of the first named pulley to regulate the rate of rotation of the second named pulley, an alarm actuator, and means carried by the second named pulley and rotating. therewithto move the actuator at predetermined intervals to operate the alarm.

2. An assembly as defined in and claimed by claim 1 furthercharacterized in that said drive connection between the first named pulley and the vwheel includes sprockets on the wheel and the first named pulley, and a chain trained over said sprockets, thesprocket on the pulley being of greater diameter than the sprocket on the wheel.

3. vIn a signalling assembly operated at` predetermined intervals for use with a plant setting machine, a frame, wheels therefor, a bellron the frame, a pivoted clapper therefor, a shaft rotatableon the frame, a friction Wheel carried by said shaft, a drive connection between the shaft and one of the frame wheels, a bracket adjustably carried by the frame in spaced relation to said friction wheel shaft, means on said bracket defining a bearing disposed at right angles to said friction wheel shaft, a second shaft journalled in the bearing, a second friction wheel ofY lesser diameter than the first named friction wheel carried by the second named shaft and engaging a planar face on the first named friction wheel, means to adjust said bracket toward and away from the rst named shaft to adjust the position of the second named friction wheel radially 5 of the planar face of the first named friction Wheel to regulate the rate of rotation of the second named friction Wheel and an ecoentrically mounted iinger carried =by said Second named shaft adapted to periodically strike the pivoted 5 clapper to move the clapper into Contact with the bell during movement of the frame along the ground.

MARCUS D. JUSTISS.

THOMAS U. FALLIN. 10

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number Number Name Date Aleck Nov, 29, 1910 Owens Sept. 23, 1913 Gumaer Apr. 24, 1917 Hoover July 10, 1917 Thompson May 28, 1918 Walling Sept. 4, 1934 Karst Aug. 2, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Nov. 26, 1943 France Apr. l1, 1944 

